by Nate Ryan, USA TODAY Sports

by Nate Ryan, USA TODAY Sports

BROOKLYN, Mich. - Jeff Gordon snatched the lead from Joey Logano on a restart with 17 laps remaining and hung on to win the Pure Michigan 400.

It was the third Sprint Cup victory of the season for Gordon's No. 24 Chevrolet, which also won at Kansas Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, tying Gordon with Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the series lead. It's the first time in three years that the four-time series champion has at least three wins in a season.

"So proud of you guys, way to go. What a season, we're having," Gordon radioed his crew.

Kevin Harvick finished second for the second consecutive race at Michigan, followed by Logano, Paul Menard and Earnhardt.

"We were battling on these restarts," Logano said. "Basically I used every trick in the book I had. Every game that could be played could be played on these restarts. He had position on me going into the corner and was able to carry that into the lead.

"We're doing everything we need to do. I wish the last caution didn't come. I'm going to relive that in my mind for the next two weeks."

After the race, Ryan Newman and Johnson along with Earnhardt Jr. and Denny Hamlin were having animated conversations as the closing laps saw much jockeying for position on the 2-mile oval.

Johnson and Newman raced hard for ninth place. Newman was apparently upset with Johnson for making contact with him late in the race, but Johnson dismissed Newman's actions as "normal Ryan Newman stuff" (drivers frequently say Newman races harder than necessary).

"Anybody who has watched the sport long enough or been in a race car out there understands the frustration that comes along with racing Ryan," Johnson said. "It's just normal Ryan stuff."

Newman also was involved in a heated discussion with Logano after a race at Michigan in 2010.

Kyle Larson provided the first case study from the formalization of a NASCAR rule requiring drivers to remain in their cars under caution and prohibiting them from approaching the racing surface or other cars.

Just before the midpoint, Larson's No. 42 Chevrolet exploded in flames after hitting the wall. He was unhurt but stood beside his car until safety personnel arrived to escort him to an ambulance. His team had encouraged him to exit the vehicle.

NASCAR announced specific procedures Friday after Kevin Ward Jr. was struck and killed by a sprint car driven by Tony Stewart at an upstate New York track. Several dirt tracks made rule changes this week.

"I'm fine; it's just a shame," said Larson, who was on the bubble to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup on points. "I thought we had a car capable of winning the race for sure."

The race got off to a choppy start as several contenders had their cars damaged in the first 25 laps.

Kyle Busch's No. 18 slapped the wall in Turn 1 to trigger the first caution on Lap 5.

During a competition caution on Lap 22, Larson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. collided while making pit stops, leaving dents in both Chevys.

On the ensuring restart on Lap 25, Danica Patrick slid up the track and made light contact with Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Jeff Burton, triggering a nine-car crash in turn 1 that also involved Matt Kenseth, Trevor Bayne and Martin Truex Jr.

Burton pitted on the 75th lap after his cockpit filled with smoke that seemed like an electrical fire. He returned to the track after the stop, but the problem remained, and he headed to the garage. He lost 25 laps as the team replaced a broken tail pipe that had caused the heat shields to burn.

It also was an eventful day for Jimmie Johnson, who earned his first career win at Michigan two months ago. The six-time series champion led 13 laps after making an early pit stop, but he lost a lap after his gear shifter disintegrated. His crew had to push him through the pits after a stop in which they handed him vise grips to try to fix the problem.